


clouds in my coffee (but the sun's coming through)

by Bat_and_Breakfast



Category: Holby City
Genre: (un)fortunately, Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, F/F, First Date, RedVines Day, both are being a bit oblivious - as always, sian kors is meddling, the wrong one
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-19
Updated: 2020-04-19
Packaged: 2021-03-01 20:34:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,163
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23723158
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bat_and_Breakfast/pseuds/Bat_and_Breakfast
Summary: "What do you mean - you got me a date at The Coffee Barn?" Serena's mind blanks for a moment. A date. With a friend of Sian’s latest love interest. At Serena’s favourite coffee shop. Atthecoffee shop. Her mind starts reeling at the thought of this.The AU where Bernie owns a coffee shop - and Serena really, really likes... coffee, but is too shy to say so.
Relationships: Serena Campbell/Bernie Wolfe
Comments: 37
Kudos: 107
Collections: Redvines Day





	clouds in my coffee (but the sun's coming through)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [fortytworedvines](https://archiveofourown.org/users/fortytworedvines/gifts).



> Dear Redvines, this one is for you. I hope you had a good night's sleep, because I guess you might need it today. Enjoy your day - you are very, very much appreciated!

"What do you mean - you got me a date at The Coffee Barn?" Serena's mind blanks for a moment. A date. With a friend of Sian’s latest love interest. At Serena’s favourite coffee shop. At _the_ coffee shop. Her mind starts reeling at the thought of this.

Why had she told Sian about her favourite coffee shop? Better question yet - why hadn't she told her all about the coffee shop? Well, the second one was actually easy to answer: Serena just didn't know what to say. Has tried to say something when Sian started to question Serena's new found love for a coffee shop halfway across town. Had failed and taken cover behind "the most delicious coffee in town", "the to-die-for pastries they actually make from scratch" and "the need to just once in a while not stumble onto somebody from the hospital". 

Due to these perfectly fine reasons to choose the Barn as her retreat from everyday life she just... _forgot_ to mention the owner of said coffee shop. Forgot to mention the lithe blonde woman her own age named Bernie, who ran her own business, dealing caffeine and calories to the tired and undersugared. Whose smile made Serena feel a bit weak at the knees. Who sometimes gifted her a pastry or an extra shot on the house with a wink and a smile. Whose skinny jeans should come with a serious health warning - not for the woman herself, but for everyone looking at her legs, oh… those legs-

"Serena? Are you still with me?" Sian's voice makes Serena’s daydream vanish as fast as it started. She blinks at her friend, still unsure how to get out of this without sharing too much information.

"Look, it's just a coffee! This can't be too bad? Please don't tell me you're thinking about letting Edward back into your life?!"

"No!" Serena almost shudders and gives Sian a look that would have her students cowering in a corner of her ward. "What do you take me for? A complete idiot?”

Sian looks at Serena expectantly, silently imploring her to go on. Serena feels like she should say something, explain herself, but decides that two can play this game and keeps her mouth shut.

“So if it isn’t Edward making an unwelcome comeback and there isn’t someone _new_ ,” and with this Sian raises an eyebrow at Serena, “then we’re settled: You, my dear, will go on a date with Oliver.”

It’s a beautiful Saturday morning, the sun is shining and while Serena certainly appreciates that, she doesn’t appreciate the fact that she bowed to Sian, the unrelenting force of nature, and is currently on her way to meet the well praised Oliver at The Coffee Barn. She only spent a minimum of care on her appearance though. Not that she’s in any way looking less well put together than usual, but she refrained from putting on extra make-up or wearing one of her more… revealing dresses. Instead she’s wearing her usual combination of trousers, vest, flowing blouse and kitten heels. It’s an outfit she could easily wear for work, which she actually does, most of the time.

Never before has the usual reassuring ring of the coffee shop’s doorbell sound more like a death knell. Serena tries to stay calm and just shrug off her increasingly bad feeling about this. Keeps her fingers crossed that maybe, maybe Bernie, the shop’s owner won’t be in today. She had been off work before. Once, when her daughter - as she told Serena later on - had needed her help moving into new student housing. Once. In six months. Bernie surely was due a day off by now.

Unfortunately it wasn’t today though. There she was, already beaming at Serena while handing another customer his hot beverage.

“Serena,” she almost shouts across the room, startling the next person in line a bit. Blushes and rubs her hands nervously against her apron. Sometimes Serena wonders if it isn’t just her actually. If Bernie might feel drawn towards her like she feels drawn towards Bernie. She takes her place in line, just for Bernie to instruct her to take a seat.

“I’ll bring you your usual order, ok?”

Serena nods and finds a place with two cosy armchairs. Feels lucky, really, because the only other unoccupied table has a plushy two seater and some rigid looking wooden chairs and neither of those seem to be good options for her date. Her date. She sits down in one of the chairs with a groan. Here she is, a woman normally not afraid to speak her mind, quite able to get others to follow her lead, and she’s let herself be hassled into something she doesn’t want to do by her meddling best friend and her insecurities when it comes to Bernie Wolfe. Who just appears at her table this minute, apparently having heard her noise of distress.

“I’ve left Morven to keep an eye on customers for now. Will have to go back though if the line gets longer again.” Bernie places a cappuccino in front of Serena and a plate with a buttery and flaky looking pastry, sprinkled in nuts and oozing chocolate.

“You look like you can use the sugar.” She nods at the pastry and sits down in the other chair. Serena gives her a fond smile.

“Thanks. I sure can.”

She doesn’t take a bite out of the pastry though. Feels like she shouldn’t eat something before Oliver joins her.

“Tell me what’s going on in your life that you come here on a Saturday morning, looking distressed?”

Serena quickly tries to school her features, but Bernie just raises an eyebrow at her.

“Look, you don’t have to tell me, but you-”

“You must be Serena!” A booming voice cuts Bernie short. Both of them look up at the man suddenly looming over them. He’s handsome, Serena didn’t expect anything less from Sian’s choice of date, and impeccably dressed. A bit too impeccable, maybe. He looks more like dinner at a fancy restaurant than coffee at a small shop in one of Holby’s quieter neighbourhoods. He’s holding a bouquet of red roses in one hand, clearly advertising his intentions. Serena can see Bernie shooting startled looks between him and Serena.

“Hello Oliver,” Serena says, getting up and taking the offered flowers with a bit of a strained smile. “Thanks for the beautiful flowers.” She doesn’t know exactly what to do with them, feels Oliver hovering next to her, and expects him to go for a hug as soon as she gets rid of the roses. Wants to cling to them, but suddenly Bernie jumps up from her chair and practically wrenches them away from her. Serena gives her a startled look and is even more surprised by the look of hurt in Bernie’s eyes.

“I’ll leave you to it and take care of the flowers for you, ok,” Bernie mumbles, nods at Oliver and makes her way towards the counter.

“Serena,” Oliver says once more and this time he embraces Serena in a hug. A hug which ends with Oliver’s hands way lower on her back than she would have prefered. She takes a step back and pats him on the arm before sitting down.

“I see you already ordered,” he says after sitting down, indicating the undrunk coffee and uneaten pastry.

“Ah, yes, Bernie - she already made me my usual order. The bonus of being a regular.” Serena concedes with a smile. “I hope you don’t mind.”

“Well, you’ll have to decide if a pastry as your usual order is good for you and your health. After all, you’re the doctor, aren’t you?” He laughs at his own joke, if one could take this as a joke. Serena decides to just give him a bit of a sour smile. Doesn’t like the idea of someone policing her eating habits at all, but before she can come up with an answer, Morven comes to their table, holding a vase with the flowers.

“I put them into some water for you, Serena.” The young woman beams at the roses, clearly smitten by them.

“Thanks dear, that’s very helpful of-”

“I’d like an espresso doppio. And a glass of water, sparkling, not from the tap, please.” Oliver addresses Morven, who looks a bit unsure.

“You’ll have to order at the counter, I’m afraid,” Serena mildly admonishes him. “It’s too much to do for the two of them to offer serving orders to the tables.”

“But she’s already here, so why waste any more time?” Oliver gives both of them a bit of a surprised look. Morven looks at him and at Serena, and back to the man who’s clearly Serena’s date and caves in.

“It’s fine, Serena. I’ll be back with the order in a minute.” She turns around and leaves them alone again.

“I don’t think it’s a good thing to make them bend their rules for you.” Serena sighs, looking after Morven, who’s now in a bit of a discussion with Bernie, whose face is turning to stone.

“Rules are made to be bent sometimes,” he gives Serena a dazzling smile, perhaps to try and reassure her, but unfortunately failing to do so. “I’ll leave her a good tip. Both of them.”

Serena bristles a bit at that, but Oliver is clearly trying to move away from everything related to the coffee shop and starts to ask Serena question after question about herself. It’s a bit like being interrogated and while it definitely does show a certain interest in her, Serena isn’t really sure how heartfelt Oliver’s attempt is. Tries to ask him questions about why he moved to Holby and how he’s adjusting to a new town. His answers are carefully bland and short, followed by yet more questions about Serena’s life and habits.

“-so you do have to work on weekends and holidays even though you are a consultant?” He interrupts her in her attempt to answer his question about her work schedule. Somehow Oliver’s armchair is quite a bit closer than before now that she notices. He is leaning halfway across the armrest and gives Serena an almost sulky look.

“You’re a consultant and deputy CEO of the hospital. Surely you could just adjust the rota and leave the weekends and holidays to others, who haven’t got such an important role at the hospital?”

“Well, all of us consultants are equally important to the hospital and the wellbeing of our patients. I don’t think it would be fair of me not to do my part to keep everything running.” Serena chances a quick look at her wristwatch. A bit more than an hour has gone by and she already feels in desperate need of a break. A permanent one. No second date needed. This isn’t working at all. Which, of course, she knew in advance.

“From what I’ve heard, you are working way too hard.” Suddenly Oliver’s hand is lying on her arm, his fingers starting to draw circles. Serena stares at them a bit dumbfoundedly.

“Sian told me that you were just like her during university, someone to have fun with, but now you are too preoccupied with work. She told me that you might need someone to help you cut loose.” Serena swears to make Sian suffer for this. Oliver is now rubbing his thumb along her wrist and giving her a kind of suggestive smile. She doesn’t exactly know what to do, doesn’t want to cause a scene in Bernie’s shop. She can see her staring at them from across the room. Maybe she notices Serena’s discomfort, because she suddenly starts to clean tables not too far from theirs.

“Look,” Serena starts, pulling away from Oliver’s touch, “I don’t know what Sian told you about me or the general idea of us meeting. I just have to say that I don’t think this is going in any direction I’m comfortable with. How about we leave it at this? It was nice enough meeting you, but-”

“Oh, come on. You can’t be serious? Let’s have lunch. Some drinks will loosen us up. We can have some fun.” Oliver grabs her hand again and presses his lips to her fingers. Serena’s mind goes blank and before she recovers, she can feel Bernie standing beside them.

“I think you heard her loud and clear.” Bernie’s voice is even lower than usual, her eyes scrutinizing Oliver coldly. “I’d suggest you let her hand go and leave my shop. Coffee’s on me.” Oliver lets Serena’s hand go as if burned by it and straightens himself as much as possible in his chair.

“Look, I don’t know why you feel entitled to offer some unsolicited advice to two consenting adults. I can assure you-”

“I’m not consenting.” Serena can’t take it anymore. Oliver turns back to her with a startled look on his face. “In fact I’d like you to heed her advice and let this go. Have a lovely day, but please, have it as far away from me as possible.”

Oliver gives her an incredulous look and with a huff and a shake of his head, he gets up, grabs his coat and steps away from their table.

“Sian should have warned me that you are no fun at all. You’re a workaholic and a closed off control freak, unable to let go and give people a chance to get to know you. I’m sorry I wasted my time.” He turns around and leaves the coffee shop without further ado.

As much as Serena didn’t like him, Oliver’s words sting. She can feel tears well up inside her and for a moment she just felt completely and utterly alone, destined to stay that way until the end of her days.

“You don’t take him seriously, do you?” Bernie’s voice reaches her and she focuses back on her, sitting right where Oliver sat just a few minutes ago, giving Serena an earnest smile. “He didn’t get what he wanted, so he got angry and lashed out. Of course you’ll find someone you want to let in, some guy who’ll care for you and love you like you deserve to be loved. He’s just not that guy.” She takes a bunch of napkins from her apron pocket and offers them to Serena.

Serena gives her a watery smile and takes the napkins to dab at her eyes with them.

“Sorry, I’m maudlin and I shouldn’t be. I didn’t even want to go on a date, at least not with him. It was the idea of a good, but also sometimes rather daft, friend.” Serena sniffs a bit and shakes her head.

“Well, we’ve all been on dates we couldn’t care less about afterwards.”

“Have we?” Serena gives her a crooked smile. “Please, tell me more. When was the last time you even went on a date? Seems like you’re always around.”

“Oh…” Bernie tries to hide a sudden blush. “I don’t date. Nowadays. Don’t think I’d find someone able to comp-” She quickly falls silent as if she has to restrain herself from telling more.

“Able to - what?” Serena seriously wonders what a person dating Bernie Wolfe would have to be able to do. Wonders if she would qualify or fall off the roster.

Suddenly Morven’s voice can be heard, calling for Bernie. A line has formed at the counter while they were talking and with an apologetic smile and a shrug of her shoulders Bernie dashes off.

Serena leans back into her armchair, watches Bernie work the big espresso machine. Closes her eyes and thinks about all the times she’s sat in this store, fascinated by her. How often she finds herself thinking about Bernie, whether she’s at work or at home, cooking or watching tv. She likes Bernie. More than _likes_ Bernie. If Bernie were a man, Serena would already have acted on this feeling. Wouldn’t be so unsure and insecure on how to proceed.

She sighs and opens her eyes, only to find Bernie looking at her. Their eyes meet and Serena thinks she can see a bit of her own insecurities mirrored back at her. Not in regards to dating a woman probably. Bernie once told her that she’s interested in women when Serena came by while she was pasting a big rainbow flag sticker on the front door of her shop. Which should make this a bit easier, Serena thinks, standing up from her chair. She rummages through her bag, finally finds what she’s searching for and places it on top of everything.

Walking towards the counter, she can see Morven give a quick nod and a smile to Bernie, who’s turning away from their latest customers and towards Serena.

“You’re going home?” She’s fiddling with her apron again, her fingers pulling at the neat little bow she made with the straps. 

Serena can’t suppress a smile and wonders how she hasn’t picked up on all the signals sooner. She could have spared herself the whole Oliver experience if she’d just opened her eyes.

“Yes, but could you please give me a to-go-cup before I go?”

Bernie gives her a startled look.

“Sure, what do you want - another cappuccino?”

“Just the cup, please,” Serena smiles at Bernie, who raises an eyebrow at her.

“An empty cup? Coming up fast, ma’am.” She turns around, grabs the next paper cup available and hands it towards Serena.

“Thanks.” Serena takes the cup with a smile and fishes the biro she found out of her bag. Writes her mobile number on the cup and “Call me!” and her name on the cup. As if Bernie would suddenly forget her name, but this is how it’s done, isn’t it. Contemplates her work, very aware that Bernie is watching her every movement. And adds a “x” after her name.

When she looks up again, Bernie is staring at the cup in a kind of wonder. Serena holds the cup out to her and Bernie takes it, her eyes still fixed on the writing.

“Will you call me?” Serena asks, suddenly feeling a bit unsure again. “I know it’s usually the other way around, with the barista writing their number on a cup, but…”

Bernie finally looks up, her smile lighting up her face.

“Of course I will. I’ve wanted to do that for weeks, but I wasn’t sure you’d appreciate it and I didn’t want to make you feel uncomfortable…”

“I appreciate the thought. And I’ll appreciate a call. And a date. One that I really want to go on this time.” Serena suddenly leans forward and gently places a kiss on Bernie’s cheek. She can smell coffee and chocolate and something citrusy, a lingering smell of tobacco, too. Hears Bernie’s breath hitch.

“Goodbye for now,” she whispers to her before she turns around and leaves the shop feeling unmistakingly lighter now than she felt this morning.

It’s a beautiful Saturday, the sun is shining and Serena fully appreciates that.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks @persiflage for editing and @beezarre for telling my if this was any good. ^^ Your help is much appreciated.
> 
> Other thanks for today sure will follow. You're all the best!


End file.
